Consultation request patterns, patient characteristics, and utilization of services within a Veterans Affairs medical center chiropractic clinic

Abstract

A retrospective review of completed chiropractic consultations in 2006 (N = 354) was carried out to investigate consultation request patterns, patient characteristics, and the utilization of chiropractic services within the Department of Veterans Affairs of Western New York Health Care System. Primary care was the main source of patients with variation in the volume of consultation requests among providers. The average chiropractic patient was a 55-year-old male with low back pain who was overweight or obese with 27.43% service-connected disability. Post-traumatic stress disorder was diagnosed in 16.44%. The mean number of patient visits was minimized by following outcome-based practice parameters. Management consisted mainly of spinal manipulative therapy and mobilization techniques. Veteran chiropractic patients differed demographically from those in the general public who are predominantly female and younger. The implications of these differences on clinical outcomes and chiropractic clinical education are unclear and serve as the stimulus for additional research.